Riser cart

ABSTRACT

A riser cart including a cart support frame, a first swing arm post assembly and a second swing arm post assembly. The cart support frame has a plurality of wheels rotatably attached thereto. The first swing arm post assembly is mounted to the cart support frame. The first swing arm post assembly includes a first swing arm post and a first plurality of swing arms. The first swing arms are rotatable between a storage position and a loading position. The second swing arm post assembly is mounted to the cart support frame. The second swing arm post assembly includes a second swing arm post and a second plurality of swing arms. The second swing arms are rotatable between a storage position and a loading position.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/441,554, filed Jan. 21, 2003. The identifiedprovisional application is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates generally to a piece of firniturefor storage. More particularly, the present invention relates to a pieceof furniture for storing equipment, specifically choral risers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] In many fields, it is necessary to store objects during periodsin which it is not desired to use the objects. Various types of storagesystems have been developed to address needs in this area.

[0004] Certain objects, such as choral risers, are bulky to transport toand from a desired use point. Examples of riser systems are disclosed inthe following patents: Dettmann et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,901,505;5,787,647; Kniefel et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,873; Wenger et al., U.S.Pat. Nos. 3,974,894; 3,747,708; and Paine et al., U.S. Pat. No.3,747,706.

[0005] Further, the size and shape of these risers as well as thematerials of construction are such that they may cause damage tosurrounding objects if conveyed in an unmanageable manner. Likewise, thesame size and shape characteristics of choral risers make themcumbersome to transport by hand and can lead to serious and/or chronicinjury. In addition, choral risers may take up quite a bit of storagearea if not stored efficiently.

[0006] In these situations, it is desirable to place the risers on aportable cart, such that transportation is easier for those who mustperiodically set up and take down these risers while allowing forstorage that requires far less space. One such system is marketed by theassignee of the present application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention is directed to a riser cart that isparticularly suited for efficient transportation and storage of choralrisers. The riser cart generally includes a support frame that ismounted on casters. The frame supports a series of swing arms that bothsupport and contain multiple folded risers in a stacked array. A supportpost is also mounted on the support frame independently from the swingarms and is adapted to receive one or more choral riser back rails.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a riser cart with swing armsextended according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0009]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a riser cart with swing armssecured.

[0010]FIG. 3 is a close-up view of an extended swing arm.

[0011]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a riser cart showing the back railsupport posts.

[0012]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a riser cart holding one backrail.

[0013]FIG. 6 is a close-up view of a back rail support post holding oneback rail.

[0014]FIG. 7 is perspective view of a riser cart holding two back rails.

[0015]FIG. 8 is a close up view of a back rail support post holding twoback rails.

[0016]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a riser cart with three back railsin aligned position for securing on the back rail support post.

[0017]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a riser cart holding three backrails.

[0018]FIG. 11 is a close up view of a back rail support post holdingthree back rails.

[0019]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a riser cart securing a firstriser.

[0020]FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a riser cart in position toreceive a second riser.

[0021]FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a riser cart securing a secondriser.

[0022]FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a riser cart securing fourrisers.

[0023]FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a riser cart supporting one ormore Fourth-steps.

[0024]FIG. 17 is a close-up view of a cinch strap securing one or moreFourth steps.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] A riser cart according to the present invention is showngenerally at 10 in the figures. The riser cart 10 consists of a cartsupport frame 12, swing arm post assemblies 14 for securing a pluralityof risers, and back rail support post assemblies 18 upon which aremounted a plurality of riser back rails.

[0026] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the support frame 12 consists of twoside beams 30, a front beam 32, and a rear beam 34. Casters 36 aremounted at the ends of each side beam 30 to provide uniform support toand allow for portability of riser cart 10. The beams 30, 32, and 34 arepreferably made of metal, preferably carbon steel.

[0027] Back rail support post assemblies 18 are mounted to side beams 30proximate to rear beam 34. Support post holder 40 fixes support post 42in a vertical position. Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 6, a support hook44 provides the necessary support to retain a plurality of back rails.

[0028] Swing arm post assemblies 14 are also mounted to side beams 30.Swing arm post assembly 14 consists of a swing arm post 50 and aplurality of swing arms 52. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, swing arms 50include a horizontal support bar 54 and keeper 56. Keeper 56 has adepression 60 at its top surface and a projection 62 from its bottomsurface. The projection 62 of the keeper 56 in closest proximity to cartsupport frame 12 engages a holding socket 64 that is fastened to frontbeam 32. Swing arm 52 is slidably attached to swing arm post 50 by meansof concentric pivot tube 58. Pivot tube 58 slides axially along swingarm post 50 as necessary to secure and release risers.

[0029] Support rail 70 extends across both swing arm posts 50 to provideadded structural integrity to riser cart 10.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 4, a back rail 100 has a back rail frame 102,back rail legs 104, and positioning wheels 106.

[0031] In operation, back rail 100 is lifted with positioning wheels 106pointing upwards and the back rail legs 104 next to riser cart 10. Backrail 100 is placed onto support hooks 44 with each back rail leg 104facing toward support posts 42 as shown in FIG. 6. Note that the backrail legs 104 are outside of support post 42. The mounted back rail 100is shown in FIG. 5.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 7, to load a second back rail 100, the secondback rail 100 is lifted with its positioning wheels 106 pointing upwardand the back rail legs 104 facing away from riser cart 10. Referring toFIG. 8, the second back rail 100 is placed onto support hooks 44 withthe back rail frames 102 of both back rails 100 touching. Note that theback rail legs 104 are on opposite sides of the back rail frames 102.

[0033] Referring to FIGS. 9, 10 and 11, third and fourth back rails 100may be mounted to riser cart 100. In this arrangement, back rail frames102 are touching and back rail legs 104 of the second and third backrails 100 nest together.

[0034] Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 12, the swing arms 52 are rotatableabout swing arm post 50 to facilitate loading and unloading of risers120. Swing arms 52 rotate outward to allow for full access to thesupport area 140 of riser cart 10, and swing inward to a substantiallyparallel position with respect to each other to secure risers 120 uponriser cart 10.

[0035] Referring to FIG. 12, keepers 56 of individual swing arms 52 arealternately sized across riser cart 10 and also vertically up theirrespective swing arm posts 50. In the preferred embodiment, the topkeeper 56 of one side of riser cart 10 would have an axial dimension often inches, while the corresponding keeper 56 on the opposite side wouldhave an axial dimension of thirteen inches. These dimensions alternatedown each swing arm 52. These alternate dimensions facilitate thestacking of risers 120, as one end of a folded riser 120 will have agreater thickness than the other and require more vertical space.Additionally, these alternating vertical dimensions enhance therestraint of each riser 120 during transport. Naturally, otherdimensional variations are possible and are dependent on thecharacteristics of the particular equipment to be carted and stored.

[0036] In operation, loading of risers 120 begins by opening swing arms52 by pushing upward on the underside of the horizontal support bar 54of the upper swing arm 52 as close to swing arm post 50 as possible.Lifting swing arm 52 in this manner frees keeper 56 of that swing arm 52by disengaging projection 62 of that keeper 56 from depression 60 of thekeeper 56 directly below. Referring to FIG. 1, this operation iscontinued until all swing arms 50 are disengaged and rotated away fromthe support area 140.

[0037] Next, a first folded riser 120 is placed onto riser cart supportframe 12 with riser positioning wheels 122 at one end under athirteen-inch keeper 56. Positioning wheels 122 will hang over the endof riser cart support frame 12. Referring to FIG. 12, the two lowestswing arms 52 are rotated inward over the first riser 120. It may benecessary to lift all of the swing arms 52 high enough for the two lowerswing arms 52 to clear riser 120. At this point, the projections 62 ofkeepers 56 of two lower swing arms 52 are inserted into holding socket64 and the first riser 120 is secure.

[0038] Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, a second folded riser 120 is placedon the now secured swing arms 52 holding the first riser 120. Thepositioning wheels 122 of second riser 120 are positioned opposite fromthose of first riser 120. These positioning wheels 122 of second riser120 likewise hang outside of the supporting swing arm 52. The two swingarms 52 now above second riser 120 are rotated inward. Projections 62 ofkeepers 56 of these two swing arms 52 are inserted into depressions 60of the keepers 56 directly below.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 15, third and fourth risers can be loaded ontoriser cart 10 using the same procedure as above.

[0040] In addition, a Fourth step 130 may be loaded onto riser cart 10.A Fourth step 130 has wheels 132 and a carpet side 134. Referring toFIG. 16, the Fourth steps 130 are placed onto the top set of swing arms52 (preferably with the carpet side 134 facing downward) with theirpositioning wheels 132 facing outward, away from swing arm posts 50.Referring to FIG. 17, a cinch strap 140 is fastened around the stackedFourth steps 130. In this arrangement, the choral risers and relatedcomponents may be safely transported and stored.

[0041] It is contemplated that features disclosed in this application,as well as those described in the above applications incorporated byreference, can be mixed and matched to suit particular circumstances.Various other modifications and changes will be apparent to those ofordinary skill.

1. A riser cart comprising: a cart support frame having a plurality ofwheels rotatably attached thereto; a first swing arm post assemblymounted to the cart support frame, wherein the first swing arm postassembly includes a first swing arm post and a first plurality of swingarms, wherein the first swing arms are rotatable between a storageposition and a loading position; and a second swing arm post assemblymounted to the cart support frame, wherein the second swing arm postassembly includes a second swing arm post and a second plurality ofswing arms, wherein the second swing arms are rotatable between astorage position and a loading position.
 2. The riser cart of claim 1,wherein the first plurality of swing arms are in a spaced-apartrelationship substantially above each other when in the storage positionto define a first plurality of storage regions, and wherein the secondplurality of swing arms are in a spaced-apart relationship substantiallyabove each other when in the storage position to define a secondplurality of storage regions.
 3. The riser cart of claim 1, wherein thefirst and second plurality of swing arms each include a pivot tube thatthrough which the first and second swing arm posts, respectively,extend.
 4. The riser cart of claim 3, wherein the first and secondplurality of swing arms each further include a horizontal support barand a keeper attached to the horizontal support bar opposite the swingarm post, wherein the horizontal support is attached to the pivot tube,and wherein the keeper is attached to an end of the horizontal supportbar that is opposite the pivot tube.
 5. The riser cart of claim 4,wherein the keeper has a depression in a first end thereof and aprojection extending from a second end thereof.
 6. The riser cart ofclaim 4, wherein the cart support frame includes a pair of holdingsockets that are adapted to receive lower ends of the keepers when thefirst and second swing arms are in the storage position.
 7. The risercart of claim 4, wherein the first and second plurality of swing armsare each vertically slidable with respect to the first and second swingarm post, respectively.
 8. The riser cart of claim 1, and furthercomprising a support rail that extends between the first and secondswing arm post opposite the cart support frame.
 9. The riser cart ofclaim 1, and further comprising a first back rail support post assemblyand a second back rail support post assembly that are both mounted tothe cart support frame, wherein the first and second back rail supportpost assemblies each include a support post and a support hook attachedto the support post opposite the cart support frame.
 10. The riser cartof claim 1, wherein the cart support frame comprises a pair of sidebeams, a front beam and a rear beam wherein the front and rear beamsextend between the side beams.
 11. A method of using a riser cartcomprising: forming a riser cart having a cart support frame, a firstswing arm post assembly and a second swing arm post assembly, whereinthe first and second swing arm post assemblies each comprises a swingarm post and a first swing arm that is pivotally mounted to the swingarm post; placing a first object on the cart support frame; rotating thefirst swing arms from a loading position to a storage position where thefirst swing arms extend over the first object; and placing a secondobject on the first swing arms so that the second object is located in aspaced apart relationship from the first object.
 12. The method of claim11, and further comprising sliding the first swing arms with respect tothe swing arm post as the first swing arms are rotated from the loadingposition to the storage position.
 13. The method of claim 11, whereineach of the first swing arms comprises a first pivot tube, a firsthorizontal support bar and a first keeper, wherein the first pivot tubeand the first keeper are attached to opposite ends of the firsthorizontal support bar, and wherein the first pivot tube extends overthe swing arm post.
 14. The method of claim 13, and further comprisingretaining the first swing arms in storage position by engaging lowerends of the first swing arms with holding sockets attached to the cartsupport frame.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and secondswing arm post assemblies each further comprise a second swing armpivotally mounted to the swing arm post, wherein each of the secondswing arms comprises a second pivot tube, a second horizontal supportbar and a second keeper, wherein the second pivot tube and the secondkeeper are attached to opposite ends of the second horizontal supportbar, and wherein the second pivot tube extends over the swing arm post.16. The method of claim 15, and further comprising retaining the firstkeepers in a stationary position with respect to the second keepers. 17.The method of claim 16, wherein the first keepers each include adepression and wherein the second keepers each include a projection. 18.The method of claim 11, wherein the riser cart further comprises asupport rail that extends between the swing arm posts, and wherein thesupport rail includes directions on the use of the riser cart.
 19. Themethod of claim 11, and further comprising storing at least one backrail on the riser cart by engaging the at least one back rail with afirst back rail support post assembly and a second back rail supportpost assembly that each extend from the cart support frame.